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Allen, Mark

Publications and source records attributed to Allen, Mark.

At least 19 records

Lessons Learned-Analytical Laboratory Construction Modifications

The purpose of this document is to disseminate lessons learned from the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Building 1090 modification project and other analytical laboratory related construction projects. The following sections summarize lessons learned at various phases of the project.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Data Assimilation Enhancements to Air Force Weather’s Land Information System

The United States Air Force (USAF) has a proud and storied tradition of enabling significant advancements in the area of characterizing and modeling land state information. 557th Weather Wing (557 WW; DoD’s Executive Agent for Land Information) provides routine geospatial intelligence information to warfighters, planners, and decision makers at all echelons and services of the U.S. military, government and intelligence community. 557 WW and its predecessors have been home to the DoD’s only operational regional and global land data analysis systems since January 1958. As a trusted partner since 2005, Air Force Weather (AFW) has relied on the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory at NASA/GSFC to lead the interagency scientific collaboration known as the Land Information System (LIS). LIS is an advanced software framework for high performance land surface modeling and data assimilation of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) information.

Wegiel, Jerry↗

Partial Overhaul and Initial Parallel Optimization of KINETICS, a Coupled Dynamics and Chemistry Atmosphere Model

KINETICS is a coupled dynamics and chemistry atmosphere model that is data intensive and computationally demanding. The potential performance gain from using a supercomputer motivates the adaptation from a serial version to a parallelized one. Although the initial parallelization had been done, bottlenecks caused by an abundance of communication calls between processors led to an unfavorable drop in performance. Before starting on the parallel optimization process, a partial overhaul was required because a large emphasis was placed on streamlining the code for user convenience and revising the program to accommodate the new supercomputers at Caltech and JPL. After the first round of optimizations, the partial runtime was reduced by a factor of 23; however, performance gains are dependent on the size of the data, the number of processors requested, and the computer used.

KINETICS↗

Revisions to Photochemical Data for Use in Atmospheric Modeling

Solar and stellar flux incident on an atmosphere can cause molecules to dissociate into highly reactive species and allows for photochemical processes to play a fundamental role in atmospheric chemistry. While models have tried to simulate such processes, they are extremely sensitive to photoabsorption cross-sections and quantum yields: two parameters that are important in determining the photodissociation rate, and hence the lifetime, of atmospheric compounds. Obtaining high-resolution and current data for these parameters is therefore highly desirable. Due to this, database and literature searches for high-quality cross-sections and quantum yields were performed and compiled for KINETICS, a Caltech/JPL Chemical Transport Model that can be used in modeling planetary atmospheres. Furthermore, photodissociation rates determined by running a Titan 1-D model were used to verify the completeness of these latest revisions.

Chemical Transport Model (CTM)↗

Acceleration of the KINETICS Integrated Dynamical/Chemical Computational Model Using MPI

Understanding the evolution of a planet's atmosphere not only provides a better theoretical understanding of planetary physics and the formation of planets, but also grants useful insight into Earth's own atmosphere. One of the tools used at JPL for the modeling of planetary atmospheres and protostellar disks is KINETICS. KINETICS can simulate years of complex dynamics and chemistry.

planetary physics↗

Mars Science and Telecommunications Orbiter: Report of the Science Analysis Group, March 2006

This document reports the findings of the Mars Science and Telecommunications Orbiter (MSTO) Science Advocacy Group (SAG), which was convened by the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) and the Mars Exploration Office at JPL to identify and prioritize areas of Mars atmospheric and surface science objectives for Mars that can be accomplished from orbit on a MSTO like mission.

orbiter↗

Laboratory Evidence for a Key Intermediate in the Venus Atmosphere: Peroxychloroformyl Radical

For two decades, the peroxychloroformyl radical, ClC(O)OO, has played a central role in models of the chemical stability of the Venus atmosphere. No confirmation, however, has been possible in the absence of laboratory measurements for ClC(O)OO. We report the isolation of ClC(O)OO in a cryogenic matrix and its infrared and ultraviolet spectral signatures. These experiments show that ClC(O)OO is thermally and photolytically stable in the Venus atmosphere. These experimental discoveries validate the existence of ClC(O)OO, confirm several longstanding model assumptions, and provide a basis for the astronomical search for this important radical species.

photochemistry↗

Reducing The Station-to Station Variability of Umkehr Ozone Trends Using SAGE Measurements

This proposed research sought to use SAGE I and II ozone and aerosol measurements to reduce the variability in ozone trends, principally, but not exclusively, in layer 8 (40 km) derived from multiple Umkehr stations. Building on our experience with both SAGE and Umkehr data, we proposed to commence at the very beginning of the Umkehr process (measured radiance ratios) and proceed through the fitting and inversion processes in conjunction with radiative transfer calculations to establish a consistent, reliable time series of Umkehr ozone profiles at a number of stations. We expected to be able to reconcile the present discrepancies between SAGE and Umkehr trends in the upper stratosphere and, in particular, to reduce the variability in trend estimates among mid-latitude Umkehr stations.

Newchurch, Mike↗

Photochemistry of Saturn's Atmosphere: Hydrocarbon Chemistry and Comparisons with ISO Observations - 1

To investigate the details of hydrocarbon photochemistry on Saturn, we have developed a one-dimensional diurnally averaged model that couples hydrocarbon and oxygen photochemistry, molecular and eddy diffusion, radiative transfer, and condensation. The model results are compared with observations from the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) to place tighter constraints on molecular abundances, to better define Saturn's eddy diffusion coefficient profile, and to identify important chemical schemes that control the abundances of the observable hydrocarbons in Saturn's upper atmosphere. From the ISO observations, we determine that the column 12 densities of CH3, CH3C2H, and C4H2 above 10 mbar are 4 (sup +2) (sub -1.5) x 10 (exp 13) cm (sup -2), (1.1 plus or minus 0.3) x 10 (exp 15) cm (exp -2), and (1.2 plus or minus 0.3) x 10 (exp 14) cm (sup -2), respectively. The observed ISO emission features also indicate C2H2 mixing ratios of 1.2 (sup +0.9) (sub -0.6) x 10 (exp -6) at 0.3 mbar and (2.7 plus or minus 0.8) x 10 (exp -7) at 1.4 mbar, and a C2H6 mixing ratio of (9 plus or minus 2.5) x 10 (exp -6) at 0.5 mbar. Upper limits are provided for C2H4, CH2CCH2, C3H8, and C6H2 sensitivity of the model results to variations in the eddy diffusion coefficient profile, the solar flux, the CH4 photolysis branching ratios, the atomic hydrogen influx, and key reaction rates are discussed in detail. We find that C4H2 and CH3C2H are particularly good tracers of important chemical processes and physical conditions in Saturn's upper atmosphere, and C2H6 is a good tracer of the eddy diffusion coefficient in Saturn's lower stratosphere. The eddy diffusion coefficient must be smaller than approximately 3 x 10 (exp 4) sq cm s (sup -1) at pressures greater than 1 mbar in order to reproduce the C2H6 abundance inferred from ISO observations. The eddy diffusion coefficients in the upper stratosphere could be constrained by observations of CH3 radicals if the low-temperature chemistry of CH3 were better understood. We also discuss the implications of our modeling for aerosol formation in Saturn's lower stratosphere-diacetylene, butane, and water condense between approximately 1 and 300 mbar in our model and will dominate stratospheric haze formation at nonauroral latitudes. Our photochemical models will be useful for planning observational sequences and for analyzing data from the upcoming Cassini mission.

Moses, Julianne I.↗

Photochemistry Saturn's Atmosphere: Effects of an Influx of External Oxygen - 2

We use a one-dimensional diurnally averaged model of photochemistry and diffusion in Saturn's stratosphere to investigate the influence of extraplanetary debris on atmospheric chemistry. In particular, we consider the effects of an influx of oxygen from micrometeoroid ablation or from ring-particle diffusion; the contribution from cometary impacts, satellite debris, or ring vapor is deemed to be less important. The photochemical model results are compared directly with Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) observations to constrain the influx of extraplanetary oxygen to Saturn. From the ISO observations, we determine that the column densities of CO2 and H2O above 10 mbar in Saturn's atmosphere are (6.3 +/- 1) x 10(exp 14) and (1.4 +/- 0.4) x 10(exp 15)/ square cm, respectively; our models indicate that a globally averaged oxygen influx of (4+/-2) x 10(exp 6) O atoms /sq cm/s is required to explain these observations. Models with a locally enhanced influx of H20 operating over a small fraction of the projected area do not provide as good a fit to the ISO H2O observations. If volatile oxygen compounds comprise one-third to one-half of the exogenic source by mass, then Saturn is currently being bombarded with (3 +/- 2) x 10(exp -16) g/square cm/s of extraplanetary material. To reproduce the observed CO2/H2O ratio in Saturn's stratosphere, some of the exogenic oxygen must arrive in the form of a carbon-oxygen bonded species such as CO or CO2. An influx consistent with the composition of cometary ices fails to reproduce the high observed CO2/H2O ratio, suggesting that (i) the material has ices that are slightly more carbon-rich than is typical for comets, (ii) a contribution from an organic-rich component is required, or (iii) some of the hydrogen-oxygen bonded material is converted to carbon-oxygen bonded material without photochemistry (e.g., during the ablation process). We have also reanalyzed the 5-micron CO observations of Noll and Larson and determine that the CO lines are most sensitive to the 100- to 400-mbar column density for which we derive a range of (0.7-1.5) x 10(exp 17)/square cm; the CO observations do not allow us to distinguish between an external or internal source of CO on Saturn. If we assume that all the extraplanetary oxygen derives from a micrometeoroid source, then the unfocused dust flux at 9.5 AU must be (i) (1 +/- 0.7) x 10(exp -16) g/square cm/s if interstellar grains are the source of the external oxygen on Saturn, (ii) (4 +/- 3) x 10 (exp -17) g/ sq. cm./s if IDPs on randomly inclined, highly eccentric orbits (e.g., Halley-type comet grains) are the source of the external oxygen, or (iii) (2+/- 1.4) x 10(exp -18)/g/sq cm/s if IDPs on low inclination, low eccentricity orbits (e.g., Kuiper-belt grains) are the source of the external oxygen. These estimates can be used in combination with future Cassini dust detection data to determine the ultimate source of the dust at Saturn's distance from the Sun.

Moses, Julianne I.↗